Water column



July 21, 1925.

W. J. HILL ET AL WATER COLUMN Filed March 13. 1924 6 w, w. .Il/NANAAAAAAA /ll/ M 2 w 9 Patented July 21, 1925.

UNITED STATES 1,546,660 PATENT OFFICE.

WILLARD J'. HILL, SAMUEL J. LUPTON, AND FRANCIS E COLLINSON, 0F WINNIPEG,

MANITOBA, CANADA, ASSIGNOR'S T0 CANADA.

SAID WILLARD J. HILL, OF WINNIPEG,

WATER COLUIVIN.

Application filed March 13, 1924. Serial No. 699,130.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, WILLARD J. HILL, SAMUEL J. Lemon, and Framers E. Cor.- LINSON, subjects of the King of Great Britain, and residents all of the city of VVinnipeg, in the Province of Manitoba, Canada, have jointly inventedcertain new and useful Improvements in Water Columns, of which the following is the specification.

The invention relates to improvements in water columns particularly designed for locomotive or other steam boilers and an object of the invention is to provide a water column welded to the shell of the boiler and forming an integral part thereof, thus assuring absolute rigidity and freedom from vibration with the consequent elimination of hazardous connection and also maintaining the water column at the same temperature as the boiler, thereby assuring the accuracy of the water level readings.

A further object is to provide a water column having the bottom boilerconnection thereof located so as to insure an absolute correct reading of the water level within the boiler at all times and also such that the bottom connection will be steam tight without depending on the welding of the water column to the shell.

A further object is to construct the water column so that the customary water glass mountings and trycocks may be readily attached thereof and in such positions that there will be an unobstructive view from both sides of the locomotive cab and further such that the water column will carry a graduated scale showing the height of the water visible in the water glass.

A further object is to construct the water column so that it can be readily cleaned and also such that the bottom boiler connection can becleaned.

A further object of the invention is t construct the water column having the upper connection connected to the wrapper or roof sheet of the boiler, said connection to the boiler being made at a point where it is entirely clear of the back head wave of the boiler water.

\Vith the above more important objects in view the invention consists essentially in the arrangement and construction of parts hereinafter more particularly described, reference being had to the accompauying drawing in which:

' Fig. 1 is an end view of part of a boiler equipped with our invention.

Fig. 2 isa side view with the water glass removed.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged detailed vertical sectional view centrally through the water column.

Fig. at is a horizontal sectional View at al4l' Figure 3.

Fig. 5 is a side view of the shaft from which the lower boiler connection is formed.

In the drawing like characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several figures.

The boiler presents the customary rear head 1, wrapper or roof sheet 2 and the crown sheet 3, these parts being of ordinary construction and not herein detailed.

The boiler head carries the water column a and in the present instance the column carries the water gauge glass 5.

The usual practice heretofore employed has been to provide mountings for carrying and connecting the water column to the boiler, the mountings embodying several fittings and the water column being positioned somewhat away from the boiler. Such structure permits of considerable vibration of the water column and also causes the water colunm to have a lower temperature than the boiler. There are other disadvantageous features, all of which are overcome by utilizing ourwater column.

The water column d which we provide is preferably of cast steel and it presents an interior vertical passage 6 of constant cross section and the upper ormajor part of the column extends vertically, whilst the lower or minor part thereof is angularly deflected to correspond with the angular position of the rear head of the boiler. The side of the column, next the boiler, presents tapering faces 7 and S and the column is permanently attached to the boiler by autogenous welding so. that the said column becomes an integral part of the boiler. The welding is indicated at 9.

The side of the column remotefrom the boiler, is formed to present three faces 1O, 11 and 12 positioned approximately one hundred and twenty degrees apart and the face 11 is fitted with a graduated scale 13 which shows the height of the water visible in the water glass. The face 10 is provided with upper and lower screw threaded openings 1a and 15 which are utilized to receive the gauge glass mountings 16 and 17, the gauge glass being carried by the water column. The face 12 is provided with three screw threaded openings 18, 19 and 20 which are adapted to receive the top trycock 21, the centre trycock 22 and the bottom trycock The trycocks are of well known design and are not herein further described.

The outlet nozzles of the trycocks are adapted to discharge into a cylindrical shaped trycock funnel 2% having the side next the trycocks open to provide an inlet passage 25. The funnel is carried by the boiler head, being mounted on a stud 26. The trycocks are located with due respect to the graduated scale.

Towards the lower end of the column and in the outer face thereof we provide a re movable screw plug 27 and directly opposite this plug we drill and tap the boiler head and the adjoining side of the column, this being done after the column has been welded to the boiler. Vi e then take a short shaft 28 of solid brass. shown in Figure and exteriorly screw thread one end of it at 28, complementary to the opening drilled in the head and column and weaken the snaft by grooving it as indicated at 29. The plug 27 is then removed and the shaft is passed across the column and has the screw threaded end thereof screw threaded into the boiler head. This being done the end of the shaft is broken off at the groove and the remaining plug like end 30 is drilled to provide a lower boiler connection 31, the drilling operation being carried on through the plug opening 27. It will be noticed that the threaded opening in the boiler head and in the adjacent wall of the column is a tapering one and that the plug 30 is correspondingly tapered.

The lower end of the column is interiorly screw threaded and closed by a taper plug 32 which is tapped to receive the upper screw threaded end of the drain pipe 33 which lat ter is provided with avalve 3a.

The upper end of the column is screw threaded to receive a pipe 35 which is connected by a suitable coupling nut 3-6 to the top pipe 37. The pipe 3'? is connected to the wrapper or roof sheet of the boiler at 38, the latter connection being preferably at the highest point of the boiler and in a position such that it will be clear at all times of what is known as the back head wave of the water within the boiler. ll ithout entering into a prolonged description of this back head wave we have considered it desirable to describe what it is.

The present practice, particularly in locomotive boilers, is to so design it that the most intense or greatest heat developed in the boiler is at the back end of the crown sheet. This intense heat causes a very rapid circulation of the boiler waters in this vicinity, the water flowing up the back leg and side legs of the boiler. This [low causes a back head water wave in the boiler above the rear end of the crown sheet which is highest at the back and sides of the boiler and drops centrally. This back head wave is responsible for iii-accurate readings at the water glass when the water glass nunmtings are both ed by the rear boiler head and there is i at times a racing of water through the water glass from the same cause.

by connecting the upper boiler connection of he water column to the wrapper or roof shoe in a location such that it is entirely free from the effects of the water wave, we obtain at all times accurate readingsat the and do not have water racing the glass. integrally connecting the water column to the boiler it forms no obstruction in the cab, t ere is no possibility of vibration breakage and the column is maintained at the same temperature as the boiler, which latter is not possible where the column is ca ried by tittir ;s as is usual. The column so provided poo .tively avoi'us any possibility of leaka of team and the lower boiler connection is steam tight entirely irrespective of the welded joint between the column and the boiler.

As the bore of the column is constant it is a very easy matter to clean the same after the top and bottom connections thereof have been removed and further by removing the plug 27' it is an easy matter to maintain the opening 31 clear.

The relative position of the faces 10 and 11 places the trycocks and gauge glass such that the gauge glass can be clearly seen from both sides of the cab at all times.

lVhat we claim as our invention is:

1. The combination with a boiler rear head, of a metallic water column rigidly connected to the boiler head by a welded joint and having the lower water connection to the boiler surrounded by the welded oint and the upper connection to the boiler communicating with the wrapper sheet of the boiler.

2. The combination with the inclined rear head of a boiler, of a metallic water column having the upper portion thereof extending vertically and the lower portion thereof dcflected to correspond to the face of the head and welded to the head, the lower portion of the column communicating through the head with the interior of the boiler and the upper part of the column being connected to the boiler wrapper sheet.

3. The combination with the inclined rear head of a boiler, of a metallic water column having an interior bore of constant cross section, the upper part thereof extending vertically and the lower part thereof angu larly deflected and welded to the back head of the boiler, a removable plug closing the lower end of the column, a boiler connection between the lower end of the column and the boiler, such passing through the head and a connection between the upper end of the column and the wrapper sheet of the boiler, said connection being demountably secured to the column.

4. The combination with the rear head of a boiler, of a metallic water column having the upper end thereof spaced from the boiler head and the lower end thereof permanently connected to the head by a welded joint and a lower water connection between the column and the boiler, said connection being maintained steam tight irrespective of the welded joint.

5. The combination with the rear head of a boiler, of a metallic water column having the upper end thereof spaced from the boiler head and the lower end thereof permanently connected to the head by a welded joint and a lower boiler connection between the column and the boiler, said connection being in the form of a nipple screw threading from the column into the head.

6. The combination with the rear head of a boiler, of a metallic water column having the upper end thereof spaced from the boiler head and the lower end thereof permanently connected to the head by a welded joint, a lower boiler connection between the column and the boiler, said connection being in the form of a nipple screw threading from the column into the head and a removable plug carried by the column directly opposite the nipple. V

7. The combination with the rear head of a boiler, of a water column rigidly attached to the boiler by a welded joint and having the lower boiler connection thereof surrounded by the Weld and independently steam tight and the upper boiler connection connected to the wrapper sheet of the boiler.

Signed at Winnipeg, this 14th day of February, 1924:.

WILLARD J. HILL. SAMUEL J. LUPTON. FRANCIS E. COLLINSON.

In the presence of- GERALD S. ROXBURGH, C. Boeerss. 

